Hollering psychopaths, idiots, demagogues, scoundrels: American patriots on parade

Six in ten Americans have thrown up their hands in disgust over the Iraq invasion and occupation (the remaining four Americans must be Bush, McCain, Sheldon Adelson and Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nevada) and 90 percent of the citizenry thinks the economy is doomed, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll.

Fortunately, the people who preen in front of cameras for ABC, as opposed to the people who conduct polls for it, know full well that the real issue Americans care most about is neither the catastrophic fallout from insane military adventurism nor an economic collapse so debilitating that it threatens not only people's ability to pay their bills but society's very capacity to function.

No, the most important issue facing America today is Barack Obama's "patriotism."

Against that backdrop, the lowly Gleaner would like to render a modest observation: Fuck patriotism.

Oh, if by "patriotism," one means love of one's country, and in particular some of its more magnificent principles such as equal justice under the law, a nation of laws not men, open and fair democracy, the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, the freedom to say "fuck patriotism," etc., well, that's one thing.

But when the word "patriotism" is thrown around by politicians, media and other assorted scoundrels and cads, that's not what they're talking about at all. They're talking about magnetic ribbons on SUVs imploring everyone to "support the troops" (after more than six years of war accompanied by an exhaustive search, a significant or even identifiable group of sane people in the United States who "oppose the troops" has yet to be unearthed, so the sheer diligence and persistence of those drivers of magnet-adorned vehicles has to be admired). They're also talking about exploiting a widely held but nonetheless thoughtless adherence to vacuous slogans for political gain. And they're talking about who is and who isn't sporting pins of the American flag on their lapels.

The 18th century man of letters Samuel Johnson is attributed with saying "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel." Ever since, an assortment of people have come forth contending that Johnson was terribly wrong — it's not the last refuge, it's the first.

H.L. Mencken, who harbored some despicable views but who also could throw the high cheese like nobody's bidness, wrote that Johnson's aphorism ...

" ... has some truth in it but not nearly enough. Patriotism, in truth, is the great nursery of scoundrels, and its annual output is probably greater than that of even religion. Its chief glories are the demagogue, the military bully, and the spreaders of libels and false history. Its philosophy rests firmly on the doctrine that the end justifies the means—that any blow, whether above or below the belt, is fair against dissenters from its wholesale denial of plain facts."

Though more concise, a couple judgments from George Bernard Shaw are no less damning. "Patriotism is a pernicious, psychopathic form of idiocy." Good one. "Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all other countries because you were born in it." Even better.

Characters in Shaw's plays would occasionally quote, or deliberately misquote, Voltaire, so it's safe to assume that the former knew that the latter wrote "It is lamentable that to be a good patriot one must become the enemy of the rest of mankind."

But enough of these French Philosophes, Irish socialists, snooty Brits and easterners who openly despise the rabble. Let's turn to someone Nevadans can trust, someone whose down-to-earth common sense is as American as, well, jingoistic patriotism, and whose work in the state would lead to veneration and admiration 'round here forevermore.

"Man is the only Patriot," wrote Mark Twain...

"He sets himself apart in his own country, under his own flag, and sneers at the other nations, and keeps multitudinous uniformed assassins on hand at heavy expense to grab slices of other people's countries, and keep them from grabbing slices of his. And in the intervals between campaigns he washes the blood of his hands and works for 'the universal brotherhood of man' — with his mouth."

Twain, ever helpful, also offered up a short definition that while not as famous or perhaps as profound as Johnson's saying, is no less applicable to the scoundrels of today who are posturing and braying over Obama's flag pin (or lack thereof): A "patriot," Twain said, "is the person who can holler the loudest without knowing what he is hollering about."

People and the media wondering whether the absence of a flag pin on Obama's lapel equates to an absence of patriotism in Obama's heart could just as easily pull "patriotism" from their lexicon and use "nationalism" instead. It wouldn't make the discussion more relevant. But it might at least make it more accurate. While Obama's love of and even loyalty to the country is under fire by some of the most ignorant American voters and its creepiest commentators, the attacks also stem from Obama's perceived unwillingness to drink the ideological kool-aid that reduces one's love of country and its heritage and its institutions to a mere doctrine and an "ism," and one that often as not is founded not on nobler principles such as national self-determination but also a sense of chauvinistic superiority.

But the nation can't switch "nationalism" for "patriotism" in the public dialog because doing so would expose just how asinine and absurd is the entire discussion over things like, sigh, flag pins — as can be seen if "patriotism" is replaced with "nationalism" in some recent items in the news:

• "Doubt's about nationalism could hurt Obama's chances" (Boston Herald)
• "As Obama's nationalism is questioned, he's starting to look more and more like John Kerry in '04" (Newsweek)
• "Senator Obama, I have a question, and I want to know if you believe in the American flag. I am not questioning your nationalism, but all our servicemen, policemen and EMS wear the flag. I want to know why you don't." (Question posed by voter Nash McCabe during ABC News debate)

Or imagine, if you will, one of those gushy giggly exchanges between overpaid wingnut propagandists — any two will do, but let's use, say, Sean Hannity and Newt Gingrich as representative samples. After several minutes of amazing each other with unbelievable stories of how un-nationalistic Barack Obama is, Hannity closes the segment by saying "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, you're a great nationalist." To which Gingrich replies, "Well, thank you Sean, but none of us will ever be as great a nationalist as you." Somehow that just doesn't seem to be the kind of send-off likely to boost either extremist's book sales.

All of which creates an exceedingly rare opportunity to put Sean Hannity, Newt Gingrich and Albert Einstein in the same sentence, as it was Einstein who said "Nationalism is an infantile disease. It is the measles of mankind."

Comments

Power to the People, man.

[Judy]

Well said Hugh. The circle jerk that perpetuates on Faux News among Sean, Newt and Bill O shows us the state of the right wing(nuts). Such patriots. At least they don't call themselves Statesmen yet.

[Lilly]

We all know that true patriots wear lapel pins. Nothing else matters.

[The Penguin]

Never ceases to amaze that when we refer to a strong "nationalist" taking power in a foreign country, say, Putin in Russia for example, we get the heebie-jeebies. But here in the good ol' USA, you had better be as nationalistic as possible or you are a dirt bag.

[That Anonymous Guy]

Of course Obama doesn't wear a flag pin. As everyone knows, he's a liberal Muslim Marxist radical Christian elitist who hates real Americans.

[EmbarqMark]

Perfectly stated, Hugh! And I thought Obama's remarks regarding people clinging to guns and religion was SO on the mark, and hope that most sane people see that it was... And Mrs. Clinton trying to act all high/mighty because she has SO much more in common with these same gun/religion clinging people...Will someone just ask her to get OFF the stage already???!!

[The Penguin]

Speaking of Stephens Media...oh, we weren't? Anyway, meandering through the 'net I found this sterling example of how they treat ink-stained wretches in Hawaii, which is to say, the same shitty way they treat them on the mainland.

Reporters suspended

The Hawaii Newspaper Guild
March 16, 2006

Hawaii Tribune-Herald Editor David Bock sent reporters Dave Smith and Peter Sur home Thursday, March 9, on indefinite suspension without pay, after learning that Smith had secretly recorded a recent meeting among Smith, Bock and an assistant manager...

http://tinyurl.com/5wjnvz

[The Penguin]

Oh, and Stephens Media's link to Wal-Mart, which explains those impassioned R-J editorials defending the big box, and (undisclosed) conflict-of-interest editorials in its sister pub on the Big Island supporting Wal-Mart expansion there:

http://www.hawaiiislandjournal.com/2007/0728d.html

[texexnv@gmail.com]

Einstein also said "Only two things are infinite; the universe and man's stupidity and I'm not so sure about the first."

[*sigh*]

Well said, Hugh.

Too many of us could literally gag what with the shovelfulls of shit that are confused with patriotism and sanity.

As I wrote to Josh at talkingpointsmemo today, the woman who won't vote for Obama becuase he is sans flag pin, is indeed without someone to vote for.

Go to McCain 2008 and his photo gallery link. Do yu see ANY photo of him with flag pin? NOPE! How about Mitt Romney's site? Nope. How about Duncan Hunter? Nope Gulliani? Nope. Clinton? Nope. I guess that leaves Edwards. Yep!

One can 'google' the 'image' section for any of these people and, aside from Edwards, no one is wearing that fucking all important to the insane group, flag pin!

Thanks for sharing your vent, Hugh, too few in America seem to feel it (maybe WE are the new silent majority?), fewer still can articulate our frustrations with the idiot single mindset of the "kill all others" crowd...."support our troops, so I can have cheap oil, so I can afford to drive my SUV, but I'm too stupid to connect the dots", but I can vote idiots.

See, most of us can't articulate what Twain could say in a sentence.

[Roberta]

Well said Hugh. Thanks.

[elizabeth cady stanton]

Dear Hugh:

Your posts personally fill me with hope that reason and common sense is not being silenced by the "sheeple." For some reason, I recall that this topic of nationalism is how Hitler and his legions of reprobates rose to power. Recently, I watched the Frank Capra series, 'Why We Fight' - http://www.ihffilm.com/francapwhyw.html.

It was eerily astounding to observe how history seems to repeat itself as it resembles what is and has transpired in this nation long before that fateful day in September aided and abetted by FOX and their shows such as American I-Dull rather than the populace becoming informed.

What was most interesting is the first two parts of the series theme(s) of nationalism in Germany in the 1930s that is so reminiscent of the mindless patter that is given to this alleged war on terror by the Hannity's, O'Reilly's, Limbaugh's, McCain's, Leiberman's, etc., when, in all actuality, Iraq and Afghanistan have devolved into police actions. And for what? As Jim Hightower so aptly and cleverly names it in an animation, 'What Is Our Oil Doing Under Their Sand,' which can be viewed: http://hightowerdownload.com/node/36

Rather than query that 'black' Irish upstart, O'Bama, about his lack of lapel adornment, where are the questions from not only the moderators and the MSM and the people about the Iraq Hydrocarbon Law, usually obliquely referred to as one of the benchmarks that the Iraq government has failed to achieve?

H.R. 2206: U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations...
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h110-2206)

Sec. 1313, item (1) (iii) Enacting and implementing legislation to ensure the equitable distribution of hydrocarbon resources of the people of Iraq without regard to the sect or ethnicity of recipients, and enacting and implementing legislation to ensure that the energy resources of Iraq benefit Sunni Arabs, Shia Arabs, Kurds, and other Iraqi citizens in an equitable manner.

This is the bill that Bush originally vetoed last May while Cheney flew to Iraq to have an emergency meeting with Maliki. Did either Reid or Pelosi address this portion of the bill or present an open debate to we the people prior to his signing it on 05/25/07? Of course not.

One woman, one opinion,
ECS

Elizabeth was the orginial "gleaner."

[dave202]

You see, those of us who are real Americans know patriotism when we see it. No, a lapel pin in not required. But neither is such a long and boring treatise on the subject. If you know what it is, you don't have to explain it. Kind of like "love."

And for the record, I'm not ready to say Obama isn't patriotic. We don't have enough evidence one way or the other.

But I am prepared to say without any question Senator McCain is. I don't have to explain it because it's self evident to the vast majority of American people. Until Obama can make people feel the same way about his character, I'm afraid he's not got a chance.

[MikeZ]

Nationalism and/or ethnic/racial pride is nothing new around the globe. All politicians wraps themselves in both, all over the world.

I think one demonstrates patriotism and love of country/freedom by supporting the institutions of the nation, and those who spilled their blood so that we may do things like this little blog thing.

Few of us give back anything to our communities and our nation; few have sacrificed for either--but would kill you if you took our video poker machine away.

We've lost any sense of delayed gratification, so we 'cling' to the symbolisms that makes us feel secure in free nations; it's guiltless, and much easier than actually doing something.

Behind our walls and gates here in Fort Las Vegas, we prefer not to participate in the world.

[KidFromVegas]

"During economic hard times, damn skippy we're bitter and "cling" to our double double bonus machines, our two-for-one buffet coupons on all-you-can-eat crab legs night, and our monthly made-in-China free gift with slot club membership program," said the informed Vegas citizen while pressing the maximum coin button. "A real American never goes to the Mexican station at any buffet."

American Flag lapel pins are made in China. Nuff said?